Starry Lee Wai-king (second left), Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), and Brave Chan Yung (second right), the vice-chairman of DAB, hold a press conference to introduce the suggestions and proposals that the party prepared for the forthcoming national two sessions, on March 1, 2024, Hong Kong. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong’s largest political party will table 31 motions and proposals at the forthcoming national two sessions - the annual gathering of the country’s top legislature and top political advisory body - highlighting cross-boundary collaboration and patriotic education, as well as ways to improve the convenience of Hong Kong people residing on the Chinese mainland.

Published on Friday, the suggestion list contains more detail, in terms of the special administrative region’s development and its role in the nation’s blueprint, than was on the list released on Feb 19, which contained some of the key proposals the party was working on.

The DAB expects more policies to be implemented that will assist Hong Kong people working or living on the mainland. The party said that the use of Hong Kong's elderly health care vouchers on the mainland should be expanded, and that the feasibility of sharing more medical records to help residents achieve a seamless transition when they move from one place to another should be actively studied

In a press conference on Friday morning, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong briefed reporters on its working plan for the annual meetings of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the National People’s Congress, which will open in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

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The DAB’s seven NPC members and nine CPPCC National Committee members plan to put forward 31 motions and proposals, spanning areas including the joint development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, connecting the mainland’s and Hong Kong’s financial markets, patriotic education, and a series of optimizations aimed at improving the lives of Hong Kong residents who work, travel and live on the mainland.

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The DAB hopes that conditions for GBA mainland cities to import over-the-counter drugs from the Hong Kong and Macao SARs can be relaxed, joint law enforcement against illegal immigrants can be deployed, and exchanges for ecology protection, professional training and tourism in the 11-city cluster can be enhanced.

In addition, the party hopes the individual visit program for yachts can be expanded to more GBA cities, encouraging more mainland cruise ships to visit Hong Kong.

In terms of patriotic education, the party will suggest that the nation brings more significant sports and cultural events to Hong Kong, and will recommend that more Hong Kong talent should have the opportunity to serve in international organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the International Olympic Committee. 

Members of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) present the key suggestions for the forthcoming national two sessions to the press in Hong Kong, on March 1, 2024. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)

The DAB expects more policies to be implemented that will assist Hong Kong people working or living on the mainland. The party said that the use of Hong Kong's elderly health care vouchers on the mainland should be expanded, and that the feasibility of sharing more medical records to help residents achieve a seamless transition when they move from one place to another should be actively studied.

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The party will also call for the mainland authorities to allow Hong Kong seniors who have resided in designated mainland nursing homes for less than six months to buy local social security insurance, and to extend the service hours of land crossings between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Other suggestions include measures to boost the connection of the financial markets, and to bolster Hong Kong’s business environment.

Speaking at a media conference, Starry Lee Wai-king, Hong Kong’s sole member to the NPC Standing Committee, pointed out that the duty-free shopping limit for mainland visitors leaving Hong Kong has not been changed for more than a decade, and said that the limit should be increased from 5,000 yuan ($695) to 30,000 yuan to attract more visitors.

DAB vice-chairman Brave Chan Yung, who is also a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC, stressed the need for allowing more sports and cultural events to be held in Hong Kong or for allowing the SAR to co-organize these events, as the nation has entrusted Hong Kong to be an international cultural exchange hub in its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). 

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com